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mcrninqstar · 4 years

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Christmas Mass

SUMMARY: Lucifer attends Christmas Mass with some friendly and not so friendly faces. TRIGGERS: Lucifer’s daddy issues, Zatanna’s questionable taste in men, Petty Wenches WRITTEN WITH: @ofhxllblazer, @ofwarriors, @zztophat, @hcllprnce, @divinecreaturc, @ofallenangel, @dxtective

John: He wasn't much for Christmas. Never really had a reason to celebrate and never really liked the holiday. The past few years, he's been politely forced to attend the Zatara-Graves holiday get together mostly. Some years he's come terribly close to being spelled into a painting, but he's made it through alright. Today, he found himself loitering outside the church, mug of spiked cocoa in hand, listening to the carolers sing. "Well, aren't they just angelic," he teased.

Jesse: was hardly shocked to see the trench coated male standing outside his church while the chorus sang more traditional christmas songs. The man for some odd reason had taken to dropping by alot unannounced either to talk or join him for a drink and smoke. "Oh now dont tell me you have a scrooge spirit about the holidays?" he smirked before moving to look at the male " No ba humbugs here John, only good tidings to you and you home"

Chloe wasn’t sure what she was doing there, at the church. She wasn’t particularly religious, in fact? Churches kinda made her uneasy. The older they were, the creepier they were. But here she was anyway, barely remembering making the decision to come. She stepped into the building, glancing around. It wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, dipping her toe in the water by standing just barely past the threshold. Voices from outside distracted her, pulling her attention back out there to see what was happening. “Excuse me” she asked the men nearby, one looking like he might work there. “Do either of you happen to know when mass starts?” She couldn’t believe the words she just spoke. Out loud. To other people.

John: John chuckled as the priest approached him. "Merry tidings to you too," he teased sarcastically. "Hey, its safer here than Zatara's right now so I'll take it." His almost in-laws being in town was always a pain in the ass. Also, Zatanna had a habit of volunteering him for odd end jobs during these events which he was trying to avoid. No matter how much she tried, the man wasnt a people person. His head turned as a female voice asked about mass. "He'd be the man to ask," replied John as he gestured to Jesse. The girl looked entirely uncomfortable in this kind of setting. "This your first christmas mass?" He asked.

Jesse: "Should I take that as our first meeting left such a lasting impression, that you wish to somewhat spend the holidays with me?" He chuckled teasing the other man, in truth he hadn't really expected to see him especially during this time of year, he was plenty sure the man would be hanging out with Zatanna and her family then attempting to nose around the church. Of course the women's voice cut off his thoughts as he chuckled " yes I happen to be the new priest here" he replied before taking noticing of how uneasy she seemed to be here "The mass will start in about a half hour, I wanted to give the kids enough time to shine" he replied before holding out his hand "first time or not we'd love to have you join, everyone just calls me Jesse or Father Custer If your feeling spiritual"

Chloe was a little taken aback at how transparent she apparently was. “I uhh...” she had no idea how to respond to the disgruntled man in the trench coat. He looked to be about as much of a misfit as she was, being there. Plus? She was pretty certain she caught a whiff of something other than chocolate in that cup he was holding. She may be law enforcement, but this experience was far too awkward already to make a scene over something so trivial. “Detective Chloe Decker.” She reaches her hand out to shake that of the preacher. “I’m kinda new to all this.”

John: He snorted as the preacher teased him. "More like avoiding getting assigned to the British station at Zatanna's workshop, Father. Women's got a cruel sense of humor," he deflected. Truth was he liked being around the preacher. He was easy to talk to and not nearly as judgmental as John expected. He looks at the woman who identified herself as a detective. Well, fuck. John and the law had a long and complicated history. "What brings you here, detective? You find god?"

Jesse: he smirked a bit at the other before chuckling "Shame, I wouldn't mind taking a turn around Britain so long as I had a good guide, but I understand how women can tease you in especially cruel ways" He replied smiling before looking at the women he hadn't really excepted a detective to show up to his mass but it had been very open to the public. Though the fact that John was most definitely holding a spiked drink would do best to possibly keep the man off her radar as best as possible. "That's completely fine everyone's had a first time with religion. Some learned from their families and friends while others gained some sort of experience which turns them to hope for something higher than them. Nothing wrong with a little Faith"

Chloe was a little surprised at the question from the man who’s libation she was ignoring. “Not yet. You havnt...seen him anywhere, have you?” She stifled a laugh, wondering what had brought him here. Maybe she wasn’t such an oddball after all. “Nice go meet you....Fath- err, Jesse.” She felt a lively awkward fumbling over titles and names. “Singing among isn’t mandatory, is it?”

Adriel was excited to see a church nearby such a festive event. Although they were constructed for humans, he sometimes liked to visit them. This was a good a time as any to check in with The Almighty, especially after all that had happened as of late. He walked through the snow, seeing the group of people sitting just outside. "Oh, I suppose I've come a bit early, haven't I?" he rubbed his hands together, looking around. "Sorry, apologies, my name is Adriel..." he paused. "Adriel Fell. Are you all waiting on service to begin?"

John: He smirked as Jesse mentioned taking a turn in Britain. "Nothing stopping ya, mate. Her shop is decked out for this whole event. I think she's competing with the Lux. If you've got the time, I can show you around after the service," he offered. John looked down at his drink and then up at the detective. Double Fuck. He grinned sheepishly at her. "I haven't found Jesus, but I did find an angel," he replied as he vaguely gestured to Adriel. "I wouldn't say singing is mandatory at these events, but if you find yourself in the spirit don't let us hold you back."

Jesse: "I'm sure I could carve out enough time after the service, I made it short so everyone could be with their families since I don't have anything like that, I guess I'll leach off you" He replied shaking his head as the detective took notice of John's drink, anyone with a nose could've smelled it but lucky for them he was quite a functioning drinker. "I saw Jesus and God once, it was an experience to say the least." he turned to look at the male he'd pointed out "He's an angel really?" He asked before turning his attention back to Chloe. Nice to meet you as well Detective Chloe, My Friend here is John Constantine" He chuckled softly before shaking his head "No signing is never mandatory, and you may leave my mass anytime you wish, I never force someone to listen to my sermons especially if you find its not for you" He paused before eye the 'angel' again "Mass is set to start soon, but it seems we are growing a bit of a party here"(edited)

LUCIFER: For reasons known to literally everyone, the devil doesn't spend a lot of time in church. No amount of prayer could wash away his sins, but he sure liked to see someone try. He was on his way to the Lux when he spotted the detective with none other than John Constantine and the angel Adriel. What on earth was she doing? He didn't know, but he simply had to find out now. "Detective!" he called out, waving playfully to her as he walked up to the crowd. "Well, isn't this a sight to see. Have I missed the mass? That would be a shame. Christmas sermons are my favorite," he teased.

“An...angel...” She repeated John’s words- doubly surprised when the preacher seemed to take him seriously. “I don’t follow” was she just a walking magnet for the delusional? It’s almost as if they’d been hanging out with- “ Detective! “ She heard him before she saw him, but she didn’t need to. There was no mistaking it. Chloe shut her eyes a moment, letting out a long sigh. Of all the places for Lucifer to stumble upon her, it just had to be church. “Lucifer, do you...know these people?” It would explain a lot, honestly.

Adriel: The Angel paused, not prepared to be...spotted so easily. After all, he had been on Earth for thousands of years, and he never had someone just...say it. he cleared his throat, "I believe you're mistaken, I--" he paused, interrupted as more people began to speak. If he couldn't sense evil, he wouldn't have even noticed Lucifer coming up behind him. "Oh Good Lord--" he backed away a bit, looking at the man. He wasn't sure what to say. Demons? He could handle demons. But Lucifer? He swallowed, his heart pounding.

Gadreel: Had no idea what possessed Luci to leave his nice club but once he saw the women he immediately rolled his eyes before they landed on his beautiful angel. If it was one thing he learned was Adriel never enjoyed being in the spotlight or had he ever met Lucifer in person. Moving quickly to his side he smiled softly taking his hand "You are an angel, Mine remember" he winked at the other holding him close. "I don't think you've ever had the chance to meet Lucy, well Lucifer as he prefers to be called., Lucifer this is Adriel the one I've told you about"

Beel sensed his brother was near, frowning at the fact that the only place full of people was the church. He shrugged and made his way to the holy place, quickly sensing his favorite pair of demon and angel were there too. “You just scared the poor angel.” Said when he spotted Adriel, staying close to the principal altar and eventually sitting on the table, his hands carefully touched the gold objects he could find. “I’m hurt. None of you invited me to the reunion.”

LUCIFER: He smiles as he looks at the rage tag team before him. It’s the beginning of a terrible joke, really. An angel, a preacher, a detective, two princes of hell, and....John Constantine. Honestly, he could tolerate them all save for maybe Constantine. “I do happen to know some of these individuals, yes,” he responds to Chloe’s question. “Some more begrudgingly than others,” he says as he gives Constantine a pointed look. “Honestly, detective, this is the last place I expected to see you stalking over the holiday season. Don’t tell me there was a murder in the church and you didn’t call me?” he asks, feigning offense. His attention turns momentarily to Adriel who appears dreadfully frightened. “I seem to have that affect on people, don’t I, brother,” he grins at Beel before turning his attention back to the angel. “Any friend of Gadreel’s is a friend of mine,” he assures. “Although, he does have some questionable tastes in friends every now and again,” he sighs, again giving a pointed look over at Constantine before turning to address his brother. “To be fair, I think my invitation got lost in the mail too,” he smirks. “And you know how I just adore a good church sermon.”

John: “Bloody hell,” he muttered as he watched Lucifer and then Beelzebub approach. This church was becoming more and more crowded by the minute. There were one too many demons around and neither the detective nor the preacher really knew the extent of what they’d just gotten themselves into. He could sense that Lucifer had a soft spot for the detective, but he carried disdain for John which put just about everyone in John’s sphere in a bit of a nasty spot. “Good to see you too, Luci, Beel" he teased. "And here I thought you'd both be too busy for church sermons. Isn't there a party you should be preparing for? Or have you already decided to bow out to Zatanna?" he ribbed. He turned to Jesse, it was best to get him and the detective as far away from this as possible. "You need any help setting up in there, Father?" he asked.

Chloe: A man who hangs out at church, drinking booze. Of course Lucifer knows him. Not to mention the other characters here who seem to believe themselves to be biblical archetypes. Was this all some kind of elaborate prank? She certainly wasn’t about to put it past him. “A murder? uhhhh...no I’m here because...” she had no idea how to explain her presence at the church. “Trixie has been asking about Church lately.” i wonder what could have sparked here interest there. “ I thought I’d scope the place out and see if it’s someplace I could bring her for...whatever it is that happens here.”

Jesse: hadn't expect this much of a turn out when he'd advertised opening up the church during the Christmas Festival but either way he was quite glad at the turn out. Yet he could feel a somewhat growing tension between many of the people now surrounding them. "I somehow doubt anyone can beat Zatanna, her entire store is over the top amazing," He mused before chuckling softly at John's attempt to lead him away from the group, in truth he really did need to get ready as the Mass was quickly approaching, He moved to take the cup out of John's hand before replying "Sure I'd love the help but why you do I'm going to hang on to this Constantine" He smirked at the male before nodding his goodbyes to everyone and making his way into Church knowing the other would follow.

Gadreel: wasn't about to let Beel insult Adriel any longer as he glared at the male pulling the angel close. "He is none of your concern Beel, nor were we talking to you" He replied before turning to look at Lucifer before ensuring the other demons kept their distance from his angel. The man wasn't about to let them tease him like he would've so long ago. "To be fair the last time any of us were at a Church, seems to escape me, and its hardly my fault I know both Adriel and John, they are stuck here on Earth which you put into my domain"

Beel smirked at Gadreel’s words. The whole situation just kept getting funnier and more entertaining. He wondered what would all of these weak creatures do in the presence of any other of the princes. Lucifer and him, they were different. “It’s cute when you think I care about you two, little demon.” The prince held one of the cups and filled it with wine in a second, a priest’s belonging always added a better taste. “It’s a shame that you’re leaving, we could’ve had a good time together.” Beel left that cup aside and extended his hand to the blonde woman, noticing his brother’s leaning towards her. A human that could have that effect in a being like them, should be one of a kind. “We haven’t had the pleasure to meet. My name is Beel, one of Lucifer’s brothers.”

Adriel let out a sigh of relief at the Demon's presence, a blush following immediately afterwards. "Gadreel, my dear. Let's be polite." he felt himself being pulled closer into his space, and gave a small smile. "Here, I'm alright." he looked at Lucifer when he was addressed, "I'm afraid, given the circumstances, I cannot completely believe you." He watched as Beel danced over the church, and pursed his lips. It definitely bothered him, but decided to say nothing of it. "So, what is it you both are doing up here anyways? Is there a new program where the princes of hell have family reunions? Isn't the reason you send demons to Earth is so you don't have to come here yourselves?"(edited)

Gadreel: felt himself calm at Adriel's presence and voice, Beel always knew just what to upset him and he wasn't going to let it not when he'd finally gotten the okay to be with the angel after his talk with Lucifer. "I'll try but its rather had with this particular prince" He replied nodding his head keeping close to his angel while the conversation continued. "I'm sure its just all the fun they'd be missing if they didn't come to New York, after all Lucifer came from Las Vegas"

LUCIFER: “Trixie’s asking about church, huh? I’m glad you’re doing your research. They say religion is a slippery slope,” he teases. “before you know it you’ll be knocking on doors asking people if they’ve heard the good words of the lord.” He frowns at Constantine and the priest. “Yes, I have seen Zatanna’s shop. A bit tacky if you ask me,” he shrugs. “If you’re looking for something a bit more fun I’d say swing by the Lux tonight, but you’ll have to come alone, Father. I’m afraid John won’t make it through the door,” he smirks as he watches them head toward the church. “Surely we can behave ourselves for one night,” he chuckles as he glances at Gadreel and then at Beel. “We wouldn’t want to get arrested,” he teases, giving Chloe a cheeky wink. “I think I’ve used up all of my friends and family discounts at the jailhouse.” He only has a vague notion of what’s set off a feud between the two and he knows it centers around the angel Adriel. “Given the circumstances that’s understandable, Adriel, but I assure you I’m not the brother you need to worry about. Your dearest Zatanna has rope Michael into this. I need not tell you what he’s like. I’m just here expanding the business I started in Los Angeles. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I really don’t think.....”’Chloe shook her head at Lucifer’s joke about her knocking on doors, but was grateful that he’d dropped it to prod at some of the others who were gathered near them. For someone who usually had nary a kind word to say about his “Father” aka the big guy upstairs, Lucifer certainly seemed to be in good spirits today. She definitely had a lot of questions about how all these people knew each other, and how they all seemed to be on the same deranged wavelength. Her attention quickly snapped to Adriel “Sorry, did you just say princes... of hell?” She couldn’t even believe all this. “Are they serving more than tiny little cups of wine at this church?” She wasn’t hyper aware of religious customs, but if she didn’t know better she’d think they’d all been microdosing. or macro “Oh come on, Lucifer. Where’s your Holiday spirit?” She could tell this John guy got under his skin for some reason, and she wanted to find out why. “I’m sure you can make an exception on Christmas Eve?” She smirked a little at John before raising her brows at Lucifer.

John: He smirked seeing the affect the detective had on Lucifer. It appeared even the devil had a soft spot. "I think it's only fair to make an exception for Christmas. I've been on my best behavior this year," he winked at Luci. "Save me a seat, would you, Detective?" he smirked before brushing past everyone to head into the church and help Jesse. This was about to be one hell of a sermon. "So, minor complication," he replied as he caught up to the priest. "Tall, dark, and handsome over there," he said, eyeing Beelzebub. "Happens to be the embodiment of lust. He also happens to be dating my almost, sort of, once upon a time, could have been brother-in-law. And the arsehole with the whole Lucifer Morningstar schtick? He's not joking. He's the actual thing. And unfortunately, it appears they're sticking around for service tonight."

Jesse: He was quite surprised by all the people who decided to come to his little church it was nothing if not amazing of course it was quite obvious that some of them needed to talk to one another. As he walked back towards the Church most of the kids had cleared out with parents and children alike thanked him before John caught up with him. "I suppose that would be quite the Complication, that two demons wish to attend my sermon" He replied chuckling softly looking at the two male from the doorway before entering in "So you? the hot ticket demon slayer allowed your somewhat not brother in law to date a demon? and that man who had more swag then God could ever give a man is truly the devil himself?" He chuckled moving to set up his books.

John: He leaned against the door frame, arms folded across his chest. "Yeah, all this party is missing is an archangel but I think he's occupied at the moment," he chuckled. Where was the sword of God when you needed him? "I didn't allow anything. Blayze is an adult. Unfortunately, he took more after me than he did Zatanna in the department of terrible decision making. Although," he looked back over his shoulder at Beel before turning to look at Jesse again. "I can't say I blame the kid. Lust is an easy sin to give into."

Jesse: Watched the other do absolutely nothing to help him like he said he would "You mean Michael? You know he was always my favorite, Not as much as an ass his Father is" He replied moving to finish up the setup before smiling softly at the male, he cared a lot for this Blayze person even he could tell. "You three sound like quite the cute little family what ever happened there?" He questioned knowing he wouldn't get an answer back, after all the man if anything seemed pretty tight lipped about personal things. "You should know, the stories Father Marcus told me was enough to make a Nun blush, so I'm surprise he isn't feeding off you Johnny Boy" Jesse smirked looking at him

John: "To you, maybe," he laughed. "I'm sure he would have portaled me to hell by now if he didn't have to answer to a certain mage." Of course Jesse enjoyed the blond warrior. It would appear only John and the demons were annoyed by the archangel at this point. He cleared his throat and looked down at the ground. "What happened is I got Zatanna's father killed," he replied candidly. He was sure Father Marcus told the new priest a whole hell of a lot, but the man deserved to know exactly what he was getting himself into here. "Would have been her if the old man hadn't taken her place instead. Really ruins the romance when people around you keep dying because of your own stupid mistakes."

Jesse: "To be completely fair he was quite the ass to me too but I'm rather used to such behavior" He replied softly chuckling before turning to look at the male, he hadn't expected the man to come right out and tell him by any means. Outside of what Father Marcus told him it hadn't been anything to damning really when he thought about it. He moved to come down from the podium to stand next to John. "Yet it still rips you apart, even I can tell that. as far as stupid mistakes I've made plenty in fact....it was because of me my parents got killed, " He replied not wanting the other to feel like he bared his soul for nothing. "I'm not even going to try and say God has a plan because he doesn't....he is a cruel father who takes pleasure in abandoning his children, and You still are close to Zatanna, she came to see me soon after you did...felt like a bit of a check up"

John: "That sounds like Michael's default mode," he chuckled. "If you ask me they're all a bunch of wankers." That wasn't necessarily true. John knew Michael had the ability to turn earth into a battleground for the next holy war, but the angel cared enough for God's creations to not start a war that would destroy them all. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he replied. "It would appear all souls worth saving have a bit of blood on their hands and guilt in their conscience." There was no saving John. While Zatara's death was a stain on his soul, Astra's damnation was a finale nail in his coffin. He could stop the Apocalypse and still the pearly gates of heaven wouldn't open their doors for him. "Please tell me you aren't about to go on that pulpit and preach god is a cruel father to a demon, an angel, two princes of hell, a very confused detective, and your entire congregation" he chuckled. "I'm afraid the Vatican frowns upon that." And it would be quite a shame to have the priest recalled over blasphemous sermons egged on by one erroneous petty dabbler. "I'm not surprised Zee stopped by," he laughed as he shook his head. "We're in a bit of trouble right now," he admitted. "Two princes of hell in one city's caused quite an uptick in the number of possessions. Lucifer's entire club is manned by a bunch of demons and the number keeps growing. We could really use a priest with the voice of God on our side."

Jesse: Listened to the other he was sure plenty of people thought Michael was more abrasive then he should've been but Jesse had been prepare, mostly because of others he'd met. He nodded his head at the endearment but of course it'd been years since he thought of his parents, and how much their blood had been on his hands before chuckling softly "But the better question., is why would we want to be saved, too much trouble to keep up, plus all the best people end up in hell so I hear" He teased before chuckling at the male "Of course not, that was your own personal sermon, I think a thank you would be appreciated, I don't preach for free to everyone" He joked before shrugging what didn't the Vatican frown upon, not that he truly cared, he could dodge anything they threw at him. "Well, I hardly mind offering my help to you or Her much like Marcus did, but I'll let you know I'm nothing like a traditional Priest, I actually have a background in Voodoo magic thanks to my grandma....But that's probably little use to you outside of my voice" He chuckled softly.

John: “Believe it or not being tortured by every monster I’ve ever exorcised or damned doesn’t exactly sound like a picture perfect afterlife,” he shrugged. With his luck, the demon assigned to torture him in hell would be Astra. Life (and Death) were funny like that. Cosmic retribution, he supposed. “I’m sure I’ll be in good company though,” he smirked as he gave the priest a sidelong look. “Thanks for the pep talk. The voodoo will come in useful. Demons aren’t the only thing that plagues this city.” John knew a bit of Voodoo himself going up against Papa Midnite and his crowd, but he was sure it was nowhere near as extensive as Jesse’s knowledge of the art. He got up to head back out of the church. He didn’t want to leave the detective alone with three demons and an angel. “Well, speak of the devil...” he chuckled as he saw the form of Michael in the distance. “Great.”

Michael: Being the patron Saint of the Church, Michael was comfortable under the gothic arches of the structure. He hadn’t intended to attend mass tonight, but Zatanna hadn’t scheduled him so he had more free time than he’d expected. He was surprised to see Lucifer and Beelzebub in the throng of people gathering for mass. “Well, I wouldn’t say this is exactly your scene,” he replied as he approached the brothers. “Are you looking for God or are you here just for a laugh?”

ZATANNA: The shop is in good hands for the night. She’d hired people from all over the world for this week of fun and excitement to make the environment feel authentic. So, she’s given herself a day off to experience the fun for herself. Churches aren’t exactly her style, but she figures she’d come to support the new priest. They desperately needed allies and he seemed kind. Zatanna smiles as she spots Michael in the crowd. The towering Hercules is hard to miss. Her smile quickly fades as she watches him approach Lucifer and Beelzebub. What the hell are they doing here? The mage makes her way over to the crowd and her concern grows ten times more as she makes out the figures of Adriel and Gadreel beside them. She looks up toward the church and hopes that the priest is prepared to handle a crowd like this. “Adriel, Michael,” she smiles as she embraced the angels. “Not surprised to see you two here, but I am surprised to see these three,” she said as she eyed Lucifer, Beel, and Gadreel.

LUCIFER: “Oh, Father bless us,” he curses under his breathe as he watches Michael and then Zatanna approach. “If they are serving little cups of wine I’m going to need about twenty,” he sighs as he looks over at the detective. He frowns deeply as she defends Constantine's right to drink at the Lux. "I think he's had enough already, don't you?" he asks. "Honestly, if you arrest him tonight I'd consider that a very Merry Christmas, indeed," he winks. Nothing would bring him more joy at this point than watching the detective escort Constantine into the back of her squad car. He turns to look at his brother and the mage, rolling his eyes as she hugs the angels. "Why not both, brother?" he grins. "Who doesn't like to start the new year off with a bit of blasphemy?"

Beel could easily ignore whatever happened in front of him, whenever he wanted. Not that he cared about Michael being his normal uptight self or a priest trying to save his soul by spitting the word of ‘god’. Though seeing one Zatanna Zatara there, made him come back to the present. He loved her presence. “I’m so glad you join us, Zatara. I was bored with all this hypocrisy.” He half smiled and walked towards the banks, wanting to be in the front for the mass. “I miss my beloved dad. It’s been a while since our last face to face time, I would like to apologize for such inconvenience back then.” A successful war the he started after his fall. It was so long ago, he deserved a damn award for minding his own business for so long. “I know he holds no grudges, no space for such pettiness in heaven. So, I guess Lucifer and I are welcomed to stay. Aren’t we, Mike?”

Jesse: "Maybe not, but than again you shouldn't act like your the only one who has that waiting for them when they get down there, I've got plenty in my past they could used to break me down hour after hour" He replied softly, all this talk of Hell and uncertainly reminded him of his Grandmother's deal, what if the devil did come to collect when he passed? "I'm glad I could be made useful, I think I shall enjoy teaching you John" He felt himself smile at the fact that not only did Michael show up but Zatanna did as well. The women and male were quite the pair when they arrived when all the demons seemed to have choose this to be their hang out Honestly the priest felt like he hardly deserved such a turn out as he watched John leave his side he moved back up to the pulpit to start preparing for a bigger mass then he thought.

John: “I’m not here to throw myself a pity party, Jess,” he replied. “I did what I did and I’ll pay the price. The goal for now is to just avoid an early death. No sense in paying the price tonight if I don’t have to,” he chuckled. He’d already avoided an early grave once and it left him on Lucifer’s bad side. “You think teaching me will be fun?” he smirked. “Those are words you’ll likely regret. What do you need me to do to help you set up?” he asked. “Better to get this over with before Zee and Michael start a war on your doorstep.”

Michael: A look of worry crossed his face as Zatanna appeared from the crowd. He hadn’t expected to see the magician tonight. His arms wrapped around her small frame as she greeted him and Adriel. “Zatanna,” he chuckled before letting her go. Her greeting toward the demons was not nearly as welcoming. “Surely there are better ways for you to start off the new year than at church, Lucifer?” he asked as he eyed the princes.”I’ll be sure to pass your apologies up to heaven, Beelzebub. It might be accepted more easily if you sent a fruit cake with it,” he teased. “But you’re more than welcome here tonight. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.”

ZATANNA: Her brows furrow as Beel greets her. He’s in rather jovial spirits given the company he’s surrounded by, then again she knows the demon thrives around chaos and mischief. “Hmm, I wish I could say the same, Beelzebub. I figured you’d be with Blayze tonight. And you, Lucifer,” she looks the devil in the eye. “I’m looking forward to this party at the Lux later. I certainly hope it’s everything that you’ve been hyping it up to be. Would hate to disappoint another plane of existence,” she smiles sweetly before glancing back up at Michael. She knows it’ll take more than a sarcastic apology and a fruit cake to save his fallen brothers. “I recall an old phrase in show business that goes something like you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you’re right. They might learn a thing or two if they stick around. I’m sure Jesse would love the support.”

LUCIFER: “Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to spend tonight than with family. That’s what this holiday is about, isn’t it, brother?” he asks the archangel before turning to address the annoying mage. “Oh, are you now, darling? I’m glad you got the invitation. Here I thought your biggest fear was having a good time,” he teases. He turns to look at Beel, grinning as he spoke, “Have you invited Blayze? I dare say he’d enjoy himself. Might help Ms. Zatara here unbunch her tights a bit,” he smirks before looking at his elder brother. “Then again, I’m sure a menage a tois with an archangel can assist in that too,” he winks. Clearly both the mage and his brother needed to get laid. Lucifer was only doing his brotherly duty in assisting matters here. “You’d be surprised what kind of tricks this old dog can learn,” he replies, clasping Michael on the shoulder.

Chloe tried to hide her amusement at Lucifer’s ruffled attitude towards Constantine. “Had enough? What ever do you mean?” She feigned ignorance, obvious enough to notice easily.

“ Lucifer! “ She barked under her breath when he mentioned the lovely dark haired woman’s tights. “I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Detective Chloe Decker. Lucifer’s my....” She was going to say “partner” but after that comment she wasn’t as quick to claim him. “We work together.” She offered her hand to Zatanna.

Jesse: "never said your were just stating the fact that there are plenty people going to hell who may not 100% deserve it " he replied moving to open his bible before nodding his head "I agree completely with that statement, lines get blurred more offten then not, but I'll do my best to ensure they dont take you tonight after all your my guest" he teased before laughing " I'll likely regret it huh? There is plenty in my life that I regret I doubt you'll ever been one of them, as for help I'm afraid I'm going to send you into the lion's den, will you be a darling little alter boy and tell everyone mass is starting?" He smirked winking at John before moving to hand sheet music to the organist. "And john dont antagonized them, can't very well kickass then preach about love and understanding"

John: "Believe me when I say I deserve it," he chuckled humorlessly. "Feel bad for the bastards who don't. They deserve our thoughts and prayers just a bit more, I'd say. Not that God's listening anyway." John laughed when the good preacher said he'd keep him safe tonight. "Oh it's not me you gotta worry about causing a storm in these parts. I won't make your job harder than it already is. Can't make the same promise for my ex and the archangel though," he shrugged. He long ago learned that there are unmovable forces out there and Zatanna and Michael happened to be those types of forces. "You're really sending me out there?" He asked as her jerked his thumb toward the crowd. "And here I thought we were friends." He got up nevertheless and made his way to the door. "Well, if I dont make it back it's been good knowing you," he teased dramatically.

Michael: "Actually, I believe this one is meant to celebrate the birth of Christ, but sure family works too," he replied wearily. He knew what Lucifer was trying to do. It was the same thing his brother was always trying to do. Antagonize. Michael was used to being the center focus of Lucifer's misplaced anger but he hadn't expected his brother to turn on the mage with such ferocity. "Thank you for that advice, Brother," he replied, eyes flaring momentarily as he removed Lucifer's hand from his shoulder. He could feel Zatanna seething beside him. "It would be wise for you to leave Ms. Zatara's tights alone. I'm afraid they probably cost more than that suit of yours," he teased. "Besides you wouldn't want to embarrass your friend here any further," he replied before extending his hand to the pretty blonde who seemed to have the misfortune of dealing with Lucifer on a more daily basis. "I'm Michael. Another brother of Lucifer's."

ZATANNA: Her eyes narrow into slits as Lucifer insinuates that Michael should unbunch her tights. She feels her fingers tingle as magic builds up in her palms and makes its way down to the tips of her hands. She's only a millimeter away from unleashing chaos when Michael chimes in that her tights are probably more expensive than his suit. Zatanna snorts loudly and releases the tension in her shoulders, allowing the magic to fizzle out. "You're right that would be wise. If he can't afford to have me perform at his club, he certainly can't afford my fishnets," she teases before turning her attention to the detective. "It's good to meet you, Detective Decker," she replies as she shakes the woman's hand. Anyone who has the strength to deal with Lucifer daily is worth knowing. "I'm Zatanna," she grins, mischief in her eyes as she looks at Lucifer then back at the detective. "He works with you?" she asks, a bit surprised. She fully expected that if NYPD was ever involved with Lucifer it would be to escort him to lock up for a few days, not to work with him. "I'm sure that's got to be interesting."

LUCIFER: He smirks knowing he's hit one of the magician's buttons. He can feel the electric woosh of magic filling the air and for a second he sees her finger tips light up. Beel was right. It was fun to wind her up a bit. He opens his mouth to poke the bear just a little more when his brother comments that her tights are worth more than his suit. "Doubt it," Lucifer replies incredulously. "She's allowed Constantine to unbunch them. How expensive can they possibly be in that case?" he teases. The fact that she enjoys the company of that charlatan, but can't stand Lucifer or Beel baffles the devil himself. Why anyone would enjoy the company of John Constantine baffles Lucifer, to be honest. "And speak of the devil," he grins as he sees Constantine emerging through the door of the church. "You and I both know the offer I made you was a generous one, Zatanna," he smiles coldly at her when she says he can't afford to have her perform at his club. He'd asked the mage when the club first opened, figuring it would be an olive branch of sorts. Even offered to bring forth her father as a gesture of kindness, but she'd refused him on principle alone and summoned Michael to help her maintain the balance or whatever they were telling themselves these days. He frowns as he watches Michael and Zatanna introduce themselves to Chloe, getting chummy with her on purpose to peeve him. "No, I can't say it's ever dull. I don't think I'll be leaving New York anytime soon. I quite like it here."

Jesse: Looked at the male, hiding pain with humor it was something Cassidy did a lot too. "I don't think prayers and thoughts will do much for the poor sods, but I promise to keep you in prayers regardless what you say" He replied smiling softly rolling his eyes "You know if a storm starts i full expect to see that dark arts to come out and protect little old me" He smirked before nodding his head "You wanted to help and since you didn't actually help you get the crap job" He chuckled as the organist started playing he shook his head "Always a pleasure John"

Chloe hasn’t noticed Zatanna’s magic forming, but even if she had- the whole “professional magician” thing would have explained it just fine. She had a knack for rationalizing everything, hence why she still believed the whole “Devil” schtick was just a metaphor for whatever family drama had created...this whole mess between Lucifer and his siblings. “He’s actually pretty useful.” She smiled at Lucifer, but continued, turning back to Zatanna- “When he’s not....distracted.” She refrained from going into detail about what those distractions usually were, but had a feeling present company knew all about it. “Definitely never a dull moment. Aren’t you the magician from the billboards around town?”

John: "As Michael would say, you're wasting breath praying for a hopeless old cause like me," he chuckled. The angel was a right prick when the mood struck him. "Something tells me if the storm breaks out you're more than capable of protecting yourself and these people. Let's not test that theory tonight though," he replied as he readied himself to go out there and corral the crowd. "Hey, I helped. I gave you fair warning about the crowd tonight. Could've just let you go in there blind to that knowledge," he teased, but nevertheless he opened the doors to the church. "Time will tell which one of us got the crap job tonight. Good luck, Father," he winked before exiting the church. He could see Lucifer and Zatanna in the distance exchanging heated glares. For a moment, he saw her fingertips fill with magic before they dimmed once more at Michael's touch. "Alright then, love," he called out to her. "Mass is about to start. Santa's watching you lot. Let's not disappoint him," he replied as he motioned them to move into the church with the rest of the crowd.

Michael: Michael felt the distinct electric buzz of magic in the air as Zatanna fumed beside him. The angel lightly took the mages hand and absorbed some of the magic within himself. In time, she would learn to brush off Lucifer's antagonistic attempts to rile her up, but in the moment he could see they were having an affect on her. He looked up toward the church as Lucifer pointed out John in the crowd. "If we want to talk bad relationships, why not talk about Eve?" he asked his brother. "How is your ex these days?" he wondered out loud, twisting the knife just a little bit more. He knew about the deal which the devil had presented to the magician and he knew how hard it had been for her to turn it down, but she'd made the right call. "I'm glad you're staying in the city for more than just mass, brother. It's been too long since we last spoke," he smiled jovially before making a sweeping gesture for Zatanna and the detective to go on in front of him to the doors of the church.

ZATANNA: Leave it to the devil to lay some low blows. It’s nothing she hasn’t heard before and yet it still gets to her. Why does the devil think he’s better than the con artist anyway? “Trust me when I say loving John was anything but cheap,” she fires back. She feels Michael’s hand cup hers and take in some of her storm. She can’t help the chuckle that escapes her lips when he brings up the devil’s ex. It’s clear he’s well versed in knocking Lucifer down a peg or two. “Eve? Now, there’s a story I’d like to hear. I’m sure the bible left out a thing or two worth mentioning,” she laughs before turning to the detective. “How you manage to keep him on task is beyond me. You might be a little magic yourself,” she grins. “The billboards are mine and so is the show. If you’re staying in town, I’d love to see you in the audience. The New Years Eve show is one of my favorites,” she replies as she manifests a pair of VIP tickets out of thin air to give to the detective. “And the after party isn’t too bad either.” Hopefully they hadn’t scared the poor girl away after this display of bravado between the brothers. She lets go of the angel and takes a step toward the church. “We wouldn’t want to disappoint Santa now. Let’s find some decent seats.”

LUCIFER: He sees his brother take the mage’s hand to calm her. Michael might be an unmovable mountain, but it’s clear Zatanna is not nearly the solid force she pretends to be. Had she been alone he’s sure his teasing would have caused sparks to fly. Lucifer’s smile drops as his brother brings up Eve. Low blows for someone so high and mighty. “The bible leaves out quite a lot of details. That’s unfortunately a story for another time,” he replies coolly. He watches Zatanna manifest tickets to her show out of thin air. Magicians, he rolls his eyes. Gaudy and showy as usual. “The detective will be busy that day,” he replies as he takes the tickets from Zatanna. “The lux is having its own party. More than disco balls will be dropping that night, I assure you,” he grin mischievously. If there’s one thing he knows it’s how to plan a party. “After you, Detective,” he grins as he motions for her to head toward the church. “Let’s see if we can get saved tonight.”

#╰☆☆ now tell me what is it you truly desire? | replies ☆☆╮#Discord Chats #╰☆☆ a golden cage is still just a cage | michael ☆☆╮#╰☆☆ i’m right where i’m supposed to be | chloe ☆☆╮

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